Cup holders are a greatly appreciated convenience in many of today's motor vehicles. Cup holders can be provided in a variety of places in a motor vehicle including, for example, the center console and in the door armrests.
Providing a cup holder at a convenient and accessible location for the rear seat occupants of a motor vehicle is more problematic. Seating space requirements may prevent the provision of a cup holder in the door armrests. While the provision of a cup holder at the rear of the center console is possible, it should be appreciated that such a cup holder may be difficult to reach for outboard rear seat passengers. This is particularly true if they are children or are otherwise small in stature.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,112 discloses a cup holder provided in the rear seat armrest of the vehicle. While such a cup holder may be conveniently accessed by outboard rear seat passengers, it should be appreciated that such a cup holder is effectively rendered useless when the armrest is stowed in the rear seatback in order to accommodate a third, middle rear seat, passenger. U.S. Pat. No. 6,547,326 discloses the concept of providing a flip out cup holder in the middle seat cushion of the rear seat. While such a cup holder is easily accessed by the outboard rear seat passengers, the cup holder cannot be used when the vehicle must accommodate a third, middle rear seat passenger.
This document relates to a new and improved cup holder system for a motor vehicle with enhanced versatility. Such a cup holder system includes a storage bin in the rear seat cushion that may be opened to expose a cup holder that is easily accessed by outboard rear seat passengers. In the event the storage bin must be closed in order to account for a third, middle rear seat passenger, the cup holder may be removed from the bin and positioned at a second location in the motor vehicle outside the storage bin that is easily accessed by the rear seat passengers. This is not possible with the permanent rear seat cup holders mounted in the rear seat armrest and middle seat cushion disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,217,112 and 6,547,326. Accordingly, the present cup holder system represents a significant advance in the art.